


Scrapbook Truths

by sabriel75



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Researcher Stiles, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-10
Updated: 2013-06-10
Packaged: 2017-12-14 14:33:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/837966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabriel75/pseuds/sabriel75
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Stiles believes his father isn't as blind as he lets on, but he cannot -- refuses -- to be the reason his father is brought into the supernatural fight going on around him. However, he hates the lies and opens lines of communication the only way he knows how.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scrapbook Truths

**Author's Note:**

> Sadly, my life did not allow me to finish or post this in a timely fashion, and what an awful Alpha I've turned out to be. Also, I do not know how "fix-it-Friday" this turned out, or fluffy. My apologies!
> 
> Also, I mention Stiles's mom and her death in this, if that is a trigger for you.

Stiles solves his first case when he’s six. He solves four more before his seventh birthday and before his father figures out that Stiles can pick his work cabinet and does during his afternoon naps. 

Well, actually, mommy naps; Stiles practices his B&E skills. 

It all comes back to his dad though. His dad reads the paper every morning at the table before heading out and Stiles not content to sit and just be you know… a six-year-old, he must copy his old man. Which means he gets whatever portion of the paper not being read when he shows up, on the dot, every morning to eat breakfast with the Sheriff.

Each time, Stiles discovers leads from some trite article or ad so obscure, so short that his father overlooked it in his “skimming” the paper. Also the Sheriff does not bother with personals, so how the holy hell could he know idiots actually confess to crimes or put their photos in them when they are “WANTED”.

Stiles preens. His mother laughs delightedly, calls him P.I. Stilinski and carefully cuts out each article and glues them into scrapbook after scrapbook.

When she dies – there are twelve scrapbooks full, covering many happy years but also, memories of a life-cut-too-short. Stiles shoves them under his bed.

So Stiles is not able to say exactly what possesses him to create the email account with all the baggage it brings. He knows it is irrational to think his father isn’t ever going to be involved. Only he’s really missing his mom and shit has hit him hard and he would like to tell his dad everything, but just can’t seem to bring himself to do it.

He logs on as PIStilinski and shoots off an email to his father.  The communication starts out frivolously unsubtle, but so like them.

_Processed meats, especially those high in sodium phosphates and nitrates do cause heart attacks and higher cholesterol levels. Here’s a line chart as a visual aid. See that line there in red. Know what that means?_

The Sheriff takes it in stride and sends back a response: _Red ink, huh? Nice touch son. Guess what I had for lunch? It wasn’t green._

Stiles sends a medical journal article accompanied by a smiley face with his next email: _Rats’ poop proves red meat in diet can cause colon cancer. :)_ _  
_

His dad, ever the smartass too, answers back: _I’ve no idea what I just read, but just so you know, I have always and will always be against animal testing._  

After that, Stiles intersperses his health PSAs with other headlines that if his father were any less discerning and smart, he would miss what Stiles is doing.

_Rogue hunters poach on local preserve. Blood found – not human – but species of animal could not be determined. If you have any information in regards to this photo, call (619) 555-WOLF._

Stiles starts when he reads his dad’s response: _Is that Chris Argent?_

He avoids nature commentaries for awhile, going back to better health articles, because actually, it did look like Chris Argent in that photo and Stiles doesn’t know what the hell is going on with him, sending his dad these snippets that could lead to him reasoning out some of the weirdness going on nowadays. Yet when he comes across an article on gray wolves, he can’t help himself.

His mother loved wolves and always contributed every year to the California Wolf Center and he knows his dad remembers. They have her figurines still up and around the house, never packing them away like her other belongings.

_OC Park Ranger Reserves say wolf sightings are up, and that they are excited to hear that gray wolves might be migrating even further into the hills of California. However, residents near preserves and parks, claim the howling causes fear and panic and worry that the wolves will evolve out of their inborn fear of humans if living this close to populated areas._

___Wolves, huh? Gray wolves have killed humans, mostly children in the past, but seriously, what’s Beacon Hills got? Werewolves?_

Stiles forgets. He has forgotten why this communication with his father has become important and is shocked to find he has no idea how he feels seeing his father speculating about werewolves, even as a throwaway theory by email.

Stiles’s next email grosses him out, but Derek swears vampires do not exist: _Man kills friend, drinks blood. Reminding you – It could be worse, much worse._

___Stiles, we do not live in Forks, WA or Sunnydale, CA… Beacon Hills is weirder. Don’t jinx us._

So Stiles does stop. Instead of smarmy remarks, he assimilates any information that might help his dad figure out cases, along with any headlines that might tip his dad off to this new world Stiles is privy to, some borderline explicit.

And it tears Stiles apart and scares him shitless – the not talking aloud to his father and he doesn’t say anything in-person until a Kamikaze set of blackbirds attack his class.

He watches his dad question Argent, humble, considerate, but professional only to do a full body “WTF?!” when his dad brings him up in the conversation.

Later, he confronts his dad, “Why’d you say that to Argent? You overheard _your son_ talking about him being an experienced hunter?! Smooth dad.” 

“I don’t know what’s going on Stiles; what you know – Don’t!” 

Stiles cuts off the lies he was about to spout. 

“Let’s just,” his dad starts, “We’re in a good place, right now Stiles. I know you’re trying and we… We’re getting there so let’s not ruin it, okay? 

What I wanted to say, before you being you and unable to shut your mouth, is that I’m choosing to trust you. Talking to Chris Argent, that’s me being the Sheriff and a father.” 

“Huh?” Stiles might have snorted. He might’ve snorted at his dad’s remarks on his inability to keep quiet too. 

“I’m not letting Chris Argent use my son as live bait.” 

Stiles chokes on his tongue. 

“Or Derek Hale.”

All oxygen whooshes out of Stiles and he nods slowly, collecting himself only when his father slaps him on the back with a, “Breathe, Stiles.” 


End file.
